Safety hook



Dec. 26, 1939. H. PRIEST v 2,185,092

SAFETY HOOK' Filed Aug. 1,' 1958 2 sheets-sheet 1 2T l l* (y g g I c @j j ff my z I l 52X- A AT1-o R N EYs Dec. 26, 1939.,

J. H. PRIEST SAFETY HOOK Filed Aug. l, 1958 2 She ets-Sheet 2 TTTTTTT YS Patented Dec. 26, 1939 SAFETY HOOK John H. Priest, Electra, Tex., assigner to A. E. Rapp, Wichita County, Tex.

Application August 1, 1938, Serial No. 222,555

1 Claim.

My invention relates to safety devices for lowering explosives and the like into oil wells and includes among its objects and advantages the provision of an improved safety hook.

An object of my invention is to provide a safety hook for lowering explosives and the like into oil Wells'in which means are incorporated for disconnecting the hook from the article lowered into the well and in which the safety hook is adl` justed to its releasing position through a relatively large number 0I stages so as to prevent accidental disconnection should the bomb or the like meet a number of obstructions while being lowered.

A further object is to provide a safety-hook embodying a novel releasing mechanism in which the mechanism is completely housed so as to be protected. rfrom sand and the like which might otherwise work into the mechanism and render it ineiiicient or inoperative for the purposes intended.

A further object is to provide a lsafety hook including a novel releasing mechanism inclosed within a protective housing but in whichy the mechanism is easily rendered accessible for the replacement or repair of parts.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Y For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevational view of my safety hook; p

Figure 2 is sectional view along the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view along the line 3 3 Aof Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view along the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a sectional View along the line 5-5 of Figure 1; y

Figure 6 is a sectional detail View along the line 6-6 of Figure 2; and

Figure 7 is a detail view of a part of the operating mechanism.

In the embodiment selected to illustrate my invention I make use of a tubular housing Il! made up of sections II and I2 each having a complimentary neck part I3 threaded at I4 for the reception of a threaded cap I5 having a bore I6 for slidably receiving the bolt I1 having an eye I8 for connection with the lowering rope or y bears against the plunger head 23.

cable. 'Ihe opposite ends of the sections II and I2 are flattened, as at I3, and connected into a unitary structure by bolts or screws 20 passing through openings 2I in one of the sections and having threaded relation at 22 with the other 5 section for connecting the two parts into a. unitary structure.

Within the tubular housing Ill I slidably mount a plunger head 23 having a bored guide 24' through which the bolt I1 extends. I mount a compression spring 25 upon the bolt I1. One end of the spring 25 is arranged in abutting relation with the cover I5 while the opposite end Plunger head 23 is provided with a threaded bore 26 for con- 15 nection with the threaded reach 21 of the bolt I1. A set screw 23 has threaded relation with the plunger head 23 for securing the threaded reach 21 against relative rotary movement.

Tubular housing II) includes a longitudinal groove 29 in its inner lace for slidably supporting and guiding a ratchet bar 30 which extends freely through the slot 3l in the plunger head 23. To the plunger head 23 and within the slot 3I I connectv one end of a latch spring 32 through the medium of screws 33. According to Figure 2 the latch spring 32 has its upper end bowed in the direction of the latch bar 32 for bringing its end into latching relation with the teeth 34 on the bar. In the outerface of the tubular housing II) I provide a longitudinal groove 35 within which I mount a thin steel strip 36 connected with a screw 31 extending through a slot 38 in the tubular casing I0 and threaded into the latch bar 33.

According to Figures 2 and 6 the sections II and I2 of the tubular casing are provided with aligned circular recesses 39 for rotatably housing a camper releasing element 4ll mounted on v. shaft 4I which is journaled in bores 42 in the two sections. Cam or releasing element 40 rotates about the shaft 4I as an axis and is operated through the medium of the ratchet bar 34. Cam or releasing element 4I) includes a slot y43 within which one end of a link 4'4'is positioned and pivotally connected with the cam or releasing element, as at 45. The opposite end oaf the link 44 lies within the slot 46 in the end of the ratchet bar 34 and is pivotally connected thereto, as at 41.

The attened end of the tubular housing I0 is slotted at 48 for the reception of the bail attached to. the bomb or other article being lowered into the well. Cam or releasing element 4I! is. provided with a slot 49 including a curvature 50 arranged to align with the inner end of the slot 4'8 and through which the bail of the torpedo likewise extends. Figure 2 illustrates the locking position of the cam or releasing element 40 at which time the finger 5| extends across the slot 48 to lock the bail of the torpedo within the slot.

While Figure 2 illustrates the latch spring 32 as having pressure relation with the latch bar 34 I provide means for manually releasing the spring from the bar. A wing` 52 projects laterally from one side of the spring 32 while the tubular casing Il is provided with the bore 53 for the reception of a pin 54 which may be inserted in the bore for pressing ragainst the wing 52 and thereby moving the latching end of the spring 32 out of engagement with the latch bar 34.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device the operation thereof will be readily understood. Figure 2 illustrates the parts adjusted for lowering purposes at which time the end of the spring 32 engages the uppermost tooth in the b-ar 34. Should the bomb or other type of work being lowered engage an obstruction in the well such obstruction might cause the tubular casing iQ to move upwardly relatively to the bolt il for bringing the end of the spring 32 into abutting relation with the next tooth on the bar. Consequently when the load is again transmitted to the bolt Il the latch bar 34 will be elevated a distance equal to the space between two teeth,

In the normal. position of the parts according to Figure 2the screw 31 lies at the lower end of the slot 33 but the slot is of such length as to accommodate relative upward movement of, the latch bar 35B to the full range of the teeth 34. In Figure 2 the upper end of the bored guide 24 abuts the cap i5 so as to prevent the Weight of the load from being transmitted to the latch spring 32. It will be noted that the head 23 is spaced from the bottom of the tubular housing lll sui'liciently far to permit the upper end of the latch spring 32 to be lo-wered for engagement with the next tooth on the rack bar 35i'. Such abutting relation confines relative movement between the latch spring and the bar within such limits as to actuate the latch bar one tooth at a time. The latch bar Sli includes a relatively large number of teeth so that meeting with an occasional obstruction in the well is not suiicient to shift the 'bar 34 sul'liciently far to bring the cam or releasing element 46 to its releasing position.

Strip 3Q 'comprises spring steel and is bowed outwardly at its center in the absence of pressure l thereon. Bolt 3l ilattens the spring strip against the bottom of the groove 35 so that spring tension is effective on the latch bar 3i) for frictionally relating the bar to the bottom of the groove 23. Such frictional relation is suflicient to restrain the latch bar from relative downward movementv as the latch spring 32 is lowe-red relatively to the bar for engagement with the next tooth thereon. It will be noted according to Figure 2 'that the slot in the cam or releasing element 4l) is wider than. the slot 48 which denes the hook for the bail. Thus the weight of the bail is transmitted directly to the hook so as to prevent any accidental shifting of the latch bar. Because of the angular position of the slot 48 with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tubular housing, the

weighton the iinger 5 l.

After lowering of the bomb the cam or releasing element 40 is rotated for bringing the outer end of the slot for its: great reach into alignment with the slot 48 at which time the bail ofthe article being lowered may be released from the'.

hook. After placement of the bomb the spring 32 shifts the latch bar 34 one tooth at a time toward the upper end of the casing l0 through successive lifting and lowering of the casing until the cam or releasing element 4!) has been rotated to its open position with respect to the slotv 48. Sections Il and I2 cf the tubular housing are recessed at 55 to accommodate the link 44 and to these sections I connect a cross pin 56 arranged to act as a stop for the link 44 when it has reached the dotted line position of Figure 2 at which time the cam 4l) has been shifted to the releasing position.

Slot 48 is arranged at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis ofthe tubular housing l so that the slotted end of the housing functions as a hook even tho-ugh the cam or releasing element 4@ is in its releasing position. Under such conditions the hook may be completely detached from the bail connected therewith through fur'- ther lowering of the tubular housing since the angularity of the slot 48 is such as to shiftthe bail laterally in the clear of the slot upon sufficient lowering of the hook. In addition to providing a safety hook which is efficient in opere ation and one in which a locked condition is maintained even though meeting with many obstructions in the well the meclianism'is completely housed inside the tubular casing for protection against the entrance of sand and the like. Sections il and l2 may be completely separated by removing the bolts 20' and unscrewing the cap I5 fromv the threaded neck I4.

In resetting the latch bar 34` the spring 32 may be shifted to an inoperative position through the medium of the pin 54 and the rack 34 lowered to the position of Figure 2.

What is claimed is: J

A safety lowering device comprising a tubular housing having a hook at one end, a lock element mounted for rotation on` said hook for latching a bail to the hook, a line connecting 50` means slidably mounted inside the tubular body atA and having a connecting eye positioned exteriorly of. the body, a rack slidably related to the tubularl body inside the same, said tubular body having a slot, a pin lxedly `connected with saidvrack and extending through said' slot to limit the longitudinal movement of the rack,said pin having a head, a resilient sealing strip having an opening for the reception of said pin and lying between the head thereof and an exterior face of said- 

